The Delta Division
by Palkiawing87
Summary: "Seven years and motives can become blurred, decisions can be doubted. Seven years and your world can fall apart." It has been seven years since Hoenn became a region ruled by military and gained a bad reputation. But it's not so bad if you're a part of it, you'll get your piece of the pie, even if the whole reason you're there is not the reason you think.
1. Chapter 1

My breathing was slow, almost as if my body was in a trance. I wanted to stay longer but I had woken up an hour ago with no hope of falling back into the great abyss they called sleep.

Out here, sleep was overrated by most everyone. They thought it was a waste of time, but I considered it my few hours in heaven.

I cracked open one of my eyes to see if anyone was still in the room. The last time I had attempted this, Shelly was in there yelling at someone to get up.

Now that I think about it, that someone may have been me.

My vision was still a little blurry after keeping my eyes closed for a while, but I could tell I was alone. Smiling to myself, I pulled off the covers and walked over to the desk that had been set up for me. It was quite plain, nothing out of the ordinary. There was occasionally the odd bump or two on its metal surface, but it was normal.

I pulled my blanket around my shoulders and walked over to the desk, sitting in the attached chair. I reached inside the drawer closest to the door and pulled out what appeared to be a set of pencils.

In reality, it was a set of charcoal drawing sticks. This particular set Father had gotten me had an eraser and everything!

It was absolutely perfect for the project that I had been assigned.

You see, the one thing I was good at was reading. Well, reading and drawing. I had an incredible ability to visualize and that's what got Father to thinking I really needed a place in the Team.

My task was simple: To read all the texts on Kyogre and determine what its mysterious power was by drawing as I read about it.

I'd already read through half the books, but they weren't very helpful. I'd honestly been more interested in how and where Father had acquired these texts. The way these were written was extraordinary! It was almost as if a fairy tale had crossed over with a textbook, making it more like a legend than anything.

I had made several different drafts of what my final sketch would look like, which was a good thing; there were many different descriptions of Kyogre that I'd read.

I pulled out a large book with a worn golden cover. The title was simply "Hoenn Myths." It illustrated the three main legendary Pokemon of Hoenn; Kyogre, Groudon and Rayquaza. Kyogre was under what I imagined was the ocean, Groudon was standing majestically on top of a volcano, and Rayquaza was flying inside a thunderhead.

I stared for a minute longer at the scene and opened the book. It was filled with symbols I didn't understand, and immediately I knew it was going to be a good source of information.

I didn't want to leave and interrupt Father from whatever he was doing, but I couldn't just sit by and stare at what might as well have been a blank page. I looked around, seeing if there might've been something I'd missed, like a hint for what symbols these were.

I flipped the book upside down and brought it close to my face, peering at a suspicious looking smudge.

"What are you doing?"

I let out a small shriek and dropped the book.

"Geez didn't mean to scare you there." I grabbed the cool desk to calm myself. I'd always been easily spooked. "Seriously though, you looked like Matt reading that. What were you doing?"

When my heart slowed down to a normal level, I turned my head and saw Shelly standing in the doorway.

I didn't answer her question. I only placed the book down and gave her my signature look that said "leave."

"Fine then. Don't tell me," Shelly said. I didn't dislike Shelly; she just tried too hard to be my friend. She walked towards the back of the room, tossing something as she did so.

I caught it with ease. It was a little red and white box. "What's this?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. Your father wanted me to deliver it to you. He would have done it himself, but he's incredibly busy."

"Yeah. I know," I sighed. I felt Shelly's pitying gaze latch onto me and I quickly changed the conversational mood. "By the way, do you consider delivering something to be the same as throwing it at someone?"

Shelly laughed at little. "When it comes to you? Yeah."

"I feel so loved."

"Good." I heard the sound of Shelly's suitcase closing.

"So, what were you after?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You obviously came in here to grab something!" I persisted.

"You know, you're pretty sharp for a thirteen-year-old kid," Shelly commented. Did she really think I was that stupid?

Fine. If she wasn't going to tell me, then I'd have to play the guilt card. I had always wanted to know what was going on in the organization, but unfortunately, I'd have to settle for bits and pieces of information.

"Yeah, a kid who never had a father," I said bitterly.

Shelly sighed, walked over to me and held up a piece of paper with what looked like an address on it.

"What's that?" I asked in a completely non-interested tone.

"Negotiation address." I looked at Shelly in surprise. _With who?_

As if she could read my mind, Shelly spoke softly. "Team Magma is trying to get us to give them something in exchange for something else."

"Yes, I'm well aware of what a negotiation is." This surprised me. I'd heard of Team Magma before, but _never_ had they been able to stand us, much less negotiate with us. "What do you want from them?"

Shelly grinned. "Information."

"About?"

"Stuff."

"Good to know," I muttered sarcastically. "I just love being in the dark with everything you guys do."

"Great! Well, just in case this goes poorly, how about a nice goodbye for once?"

_Goes poorly? What could she mean by that? Is this a trap or something?_

Shelly looked at me curiously. "What?"

"If you know it might have risks, than why are you going?" I almost yelled at her. Sure, Shelly wasn't my favorite, but with rumors of a new power rising here in Hoenn, I was scared.

"You'll understand when you're older." Shelly shrugged at me nonchalantly.

"But… What about this seems like a good idea?" I knew I had to try to reason with her logically, but the more important question I had was if Father was going. I hardly ever saw him, and it pained me to think that I might never see him again.

"Nothing at all Astoria. But there are some things that are more important than the risks that come with them. You need to remember that in the future." The future? _What are you talking about?! You hardly ever make sense, but this is something else entirely!_

"What could be more important than your safety?"

Shelly let out a small laugh. "Lots of things. It really all depends on what kind of person you are."

"What kind of people are there?"

She thought for a few seconds before replying. "There are people like your father, who can blur the lines of what they are really after with the lines of what it looks like they're after."

I stared back at her with a blank expression. "You lost me."

"Look, what I'm trying to say is that I can't tell you anything at all. All I'm doing is making conversation," Shelly said.

If I was confused before, now I was completely bewildered. "Are you saying that my father has ulterior motives?"

Shelly grinned. "I have to go now. Promise me you'll get something done while I'm gone," she said.

_That conversation ended quickly, _I thought. "I'll try Shelly, but I don't make promises."

"Good to hear." She walked out of the room, leaving me once again in solitude. Thousands of questions were bouncing around in my head, making me want to follow her although I couldn't.

The only thing I could do was stare at the box in my hand. _So, what are you for? _ Shrugging, I set it down and picked up the book. I'd never seen those symbols before, but it wouldn't hurt if I looked at them again.

And a few hours later, my whole world came crashing down.

* * *

_(Seven years later)_

The rain was pouring down my face and bouncing off the mighty tower that was the military command station. Thunder was rare for this part of Hoenn, but it echoed across the sky and over the sea. It'd been four years since I'd last been here and I felt anxious.

Very anxious.

Through the process of sorting mail sent to my various addresses, I had happened to stumble upon one to the only address I hadn't given any records of. It had been a letter of invitation, dealing out many threats to myself and my kin.

It also offered the one thing I couldn't get myself, and that was enough for me to say yes.

_What are you stalling for Astoria? Are you scared?_ I knew very well that I looked like an idiot just standing there, but I _was_ scared.

I was on the island that once was home to the mighty Battle Frontier of Hoenn, now occupied by only the Tower. Few came here at all in their lifetime, but fewer ever came twice.

I took a deep breath to calm myself. "It'll be fine. Everything will be fine," I whispered to myself. I was in no way ready for what was about to happen.

It felt like I had swallowed one of those horse pills and couldn't get it down. That was how nervous the situation made me.

I lowered my head, suddenly having second thoughts. _I can't go through with this, _I thought. Everything about the arrangement had been sketchy in the first place, but now it seemed like I was walking to my death.

_Just think about everything they promised. Think about everything you'll gain. _I rolled back the right sleeve of my jacket and looked at the gold charm bracelet on my wrist. It had been what was in the box Shelly had given me seven years ago, occupied with only one charm: the symbol of Team Aqua. I'd thought nothing of it until I saw the keystone in the center of the A.

Seven years later, that bracelet was one of my most valued possessions. It reminded me of why I was there to begin with.

"Coward," I hissed. _I'm not going to let these thoughts beat me!_ Feeling a rush of newfound adrenaline, I rolled the sleeve forward and marched towards the door. Like I'd expected, it wouldn't open until I presented a relevant piece of identification.

I didn't have any military access, so I flashed my RIC (regional identification card) instead, praying that whoever sent me the letter would let me in.

The light above the door flashed green. _Success!_

Now all I had to do was find the floor and room I was supposed to be in. It wasn't impossible, but it was definitely a challenge. I hadn't set foot in that wretched place for four years, but suddenly I was supposed to remember where everything was? Dear Arceus these people were cruel.

As I stepped through the doors, the air around me seemed to chill, and I felt claustrophobic even though the building had a high ceiling. Yep, it was that wonderful feeling of being trapped. It brought back awful memories of years past when I was being beaten while I was bloody, bruised and barely breathing.

Nothing like the past.

I looked around, noticing immediate changes to the lobby-esque room. The dull gray carpet had apparently replaced with new shiny tile that I could see myself in, and the layout of the place seemed to have changed drastically.

_What the…? How- and when- did they do this?_

"Are you lost or something?" I turned and saw a boy with short brown hair behind me, carrying a box twice the size of his head. He had guarded gray eyes and was wearing normal clothing, but one thing in particular stood out to me: two aqua letters sewn into his jacket. He might not have recognized me, but I certainly knew him.

"Actually, I'm… new," I said slowly, as if testing each word before I said it.

The boy looked back at me with a vacant expression. "M'kay? Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"

I let out an irritated sigh. Part of me was upset to even think I needed help to find my way around, but part of me wanted to get on my knees and beg Brendan to tell me exactly where I needed to go. I was surprised that there was no more doubt left in me except on where to go.

"Brendan, I'm begging you! I just got here and I don't even know where I'm supposed to be!"

He looked at me in surprise, and it took me a second to realize I never introduced myself to him. Now he probably thought I was a creeper or something.

"Who are you and how do you know who I am?" He set the box down and glared at me in disgust.

I almost slapped him.

"The military doesn't hire new recruits until spring," I whispered.

Brendan's angry gray eyes suddenly lit up in recognition. "You- you're…"

"Astoria Mizuko, I know," I finished for him.

"What in Groudon's name are you doing back here? You _left_ after all! And _no one _leaves the military- especially to come back!"

I shrugged. "Got called back with greater payments. What about you? You're the professor's kid! What are you _still_ doing here?"

Brendan's eyes became guarded once more. "Nothing at all. But back to the point at hand, do you happen to know where you are exactly supposed to go?"

"Yes!"

Brendan raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, okay you got me! I have no idea where to go! All instructions I got were to come here and get in. That was it."

"Can I at least see your so called "instructions?""

I slid a neatly folded piece of paper out from the sleeve of my jacket and reluctantly handed it to him.

"Dear Ms. Mizuko, we are pleased to finally make your correspondence… Blah, blah, blah…" Brendan skimmed over the letter twice, reading some parts aloud and others in his head.

After a few minutes of waiting in an uncomfortable silence, Brendan handed me the letter. "Look Astoria, all you have to do is get down to the lowest floor marked on the elevator. After that, I think it should be self-explanatory."

"You were able to get all that from this?!" I asked in surprise as I pointed at the paper.

Brendan let out a small chuckle. "Yeah! It was pretty easy considering it was all in the letter."

"It _was?!_"

A lady sitting at a desk a couple of yards away looked up from her work and stared at us. I felt hot all of a sudden, like I had done something wrong.

"Keep your voice down," Brendan whispered. "Look, I'm supposed to be at my lab right now but thanks to you I'll be late."

Guilt flooded through me. "Sorry" was all I could get out. I'd never been great at apologizing.

Brendan gestured to his right. "If you follow the main hallway over there, you'll eventually find yourself an elevator."

"Thanks."

"Take care of yourself."

It was an odd choice of words, but now that I thought about it, Brendan had been one of the few people I trusted four years ago. I wanted to talk to him some more, ask him if he thought what I was doing was right. _Of course he'll think it's right! He openly admitted to being there for the same reason a few years ago!_

Maybe, I would find someone who would weigh the situation for me. But that would come another time.

I had more important matters at hand, like finding an elevator.

Brendan had picked up the box and was walking the opposite way. "Hey! Brendan!"

He turned around, still barely visible behind the massive container.

"You as well." From what I saw he nodded, but it was hard to tell. I did a one-eighty and made my way for the hallway and eventually the elevator.

* * *

The feeling of being trapped never left, not even when Brendan was around. I felt like a stranger and was alienated because of the new layout. I know it's not much to ask, but I would've given anything to see old dorms or training spaces, just for the reminder that I survived being here for one year.

One year.

It didn't seem like a long period of time, but it was- especially here.

I let my negative thoughts leave me and continued on the task at hand. My eyes wandered a lot, and I saw Christmas decorations placed on doors and on the walls. It was so ironic I almost laughed. The things these people celebrate were the very things they were taking away from everyone else. No family celebrated Christmas; they had no money. The military took it all away, using it for things like whatever had been in Brendan's box.

It was a shame really. Almost everyone lived in poverty, and for people like me that didn't get the benefits of having a family full of citizens, it was a thousand times worse. It was one of the main reasons that people as young as thirteen and as old as sixty came every spring to apply for the military.

I hated them. I hated the military. I didn't know when exactly they rose to power, but it was a strange thing.

"Ouch!" I cried suddenly. At some point in the thinking process, I must've lowered my head and only been looking at the ground. I had run into a wall, you see, and running into walls hurts. It's not exactly what I would recommend to anyone for a casual hobby.

I hoped no one was around to see that.

I brought my hand up to my forehead, feeling nothing but a small bruise. "Smooth." Looking around, I had no idea where I was. I seemed to find myself in that circumstance a lot today.

And then I heard a _ding_.

_An elevator! _I rushed over to where the sound came from and saw it sitting there, almost inviting me. Tension filled my body once again as the full weight of what I was doing hit me.

Father and Shelly wouldn't be very happy with my decision.

The doors opened and people wearing suits and pencil skirts came pouring out, each heading in different directions. They all had the aqua letters too, so I knew I was in the right place.

I waited until everyone was out and walked in, leaning against the wall in a corner. To my surprise, there was another person in there, and he didn't look like he was getting off anytime soon.

"What floor?" he asked me.

I stared at the vast amount of floors the elevator could take me to. It went higher than one-hundred and all the way down to five basement levels. The only lit floor- which I assumed was the boy's- was B5.

"B5," I replied. That _was_ the lowest marked floor after all.

The boy let out a silent laugh. "Okay then. B5 it is." He pushed the button for the doors to close and we began to descend.

I know I should've felt comforted by what the boy's laugh, but in all honesty, it worried me. Was I doing something wrong?

We passed B1.

The boy turned to look at me, his eyes moving up and down. I immediately knew what he was doing.

He was sizing me up.

Fine. I could do that too.

He was slightly taller than me, and probably the same age too. He had dark blue eyes that reminded me of the sea or a dark midnight sky. They made me feel safe, protected, sheltered.

Wait, what?

We passed B2.

The boy had dark blue hair pulled into a neat bun, held back with a white ribbon. The style of it made me think of something, but I couldn't place my finger on it. He was wearing a dark blue t-shirt with a slightly noticeable collar, and he had a medium build. He was also carrying a duffel bag, which I assumed was work related. I also noticed an anklet hidden under his jeans.

He looked strong enough to give me trouble, that was for sure.

But there was one thing I was vulnerable to and it was his eyes. They were calming, but made me break out into a nervous sweat and filled me with a desire to-

"So what floor are you really getting off at?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"I asked you what floor you're getting off at."

His words angered me all of a sudden. "I already told you! B5!"

"I'm being serious" was his reply.

"So am I" was my counter.

We glared at each other, but I avoided looking at his eyes for fear the spell they were putting me under. The tension levels spiked, and I found myself wanting to punch him or something. My heart was racing, and it wasn't just because of his evil gaze. I didn't know what it was.

We passed B3.

"Okay, if you really are heading down there, then why don't you tell me why?"

Why? _Oh sure, I'll just tell you my whole life story because that's freakin' why I'm even here!_

"Why? I um, received a letter telling me to go down there. It was an invitation for some military division."

The boy's eyes lit up in surprise. "Really?" The change in his eyes made me feel at rest again. "I still don't believe you."

Great.

We passed B4.

He shrugged. "But hey, I'm not one to judge. I'm not in charge after all."

And then I realized who this was. I'd never actually met him, but it made sense. "You- you're Tate! You were the gym leader at Mossdeep!" I should've known right away because of the hair and eyes. He also had this authoritative aura about him, and I knew that was a quality only a few people- particularity gym leaders- possessed.

"How did you…? Bah, never mind."

I'd heard that right after I left, the military began to recruit other people who were trained in specific things. There had been rumors that these people were ex-gym leaders.

"Well, now that you know who I am, how about telling me who you are?"

The elevator stopped and opened. I was going to reply, but my jaw dropped at the scene outside, while Tate seemed unfazed.

"An underwater tunnel?!" I said. Aqua light filled the space, and looking through the glass, you could see that the beginning of the tunnel was on a cliff, eventually going over a deep crevice.

"Nice to meet you too, an underwater tunnel," Tate said mockingly. I gave him the look that said "Not funny at all."

"Are we supposed to follow it?" I asked.

"That's what tunnels are for."

We were at least thirty feet under water and it looked spectacular. I caught a glimpse of a few Carvanha swimming over the abyss, but that was about all life I saw.

"Why is this here? I asked half to myself. I took a step forward onto the glass floor and the sound of my footstep echoed. I sat down on the floor, taking it all in. I was sure Tate was standing behind me thinking I was an idiot.

And maybe I was. This view though… It was breathtaking. I'd always been fascinated with the sea and water pokemon, and this would only immerse me more.

"Ms. Mizuko, it's good to see you arrived," came a voice from the other end of the tunnel. I looked up from tracing the cliff with my finger and saw one person I would not expect.

"We have a lot to discuss, particularly about the incident seven years ago and where you have been for the past four," he said calmly.

It couldn't be.

The former champion and leader of the resistance movement was standing right before my eyes, wearing the crest of the Hoenn military.

Steven Stone had betrayed us.

* * *

**So how was that? That was my first fic ever, so please give me things I can work on. I'll try really hard not to be offended by any reviews. And I know I didn't explain much, but trust me, it will become clearer later.**


	2. Chapter 2

Compared to him, Liza was almost the same height as her brother Tate. Actually, everything about them was almost the same, except for the fact that she was older. They had the same color hair, but Liza's was longer and she hers kept in a braid made of three braids.

The two had once been gym leaders, the only leaders to ever exist as a pair. But ever since the incident seven years ago, they'd had to find new things to do, and one of them was go to the military.

"So, General Stone is in there interrogating the girl?" she asked.

"Yep. He said she was our ninth," Tate replied. The two were standing on the side of the underwater tunnel opposite from the elevator, and they were whispering for fear Steven or even the girl would hear.

"Do you really believe that Tate?" Liza questioned. She undid her braid of dark blue hair and started to redo it- a nervous habit of hers.

Her twin brother yawned. "I don't know Liza. I don't even know who she is! I tried to ask what her name was, but we got here before I could find out."

"Well, what did she look like?"

Tate thought a moment before replying to his sister. He had found the girl's appearance intriguing. She was well guarded in her demeanor, but it was good to see he still made her nervous. "She was shorter than you Liza and her hair was a little bit longer. She had darker skin, black hair and blue eyes."

Liza interest piqued. "You don't think it's the girl from four years ago, do you?"

Tate shrugged. "She was wearing a blue jacket, which isn't much to go off of, but the coincidences are there. We'll just have to see." The two nodded to each other and pressed in a code on the wall, waiting for the door to open.

Tate looked at the clock on the keypad and smiled to himself. "Liza, I think I'm gonna take a nap until midnight. Wake me if I sleep too late."

"Knowing you, you could be sleeping until noon tomorrow."

"Don't tempt me sis!"

* * *

Steven stood across from me in the elevator, looking as serious as ever. I wanted to punch him, which was the second time that day in the elevator that I'd had that urge.

He'd been asking me questions to which I couldn't give any answers. I hadn't said a word, and to be honest, I was shocked that he was here.

"Astoria, you know you can answer me," Steven persisted. "I'll have the recordings modified so none of this is heard by anyone else."

I smirked. "So what you're saying is that this is being recorded right now? Well, now you've completely destroyed any chance of me telling you anything."

Steven sighed. "You're pretty picky when it comes to things like this. Y'know that right?" He knelt down near the buttons and opened a little hatch, one which I couldn't have seen without knowing it was there. He grabbed something out of it and held it up. "Here, let's fix this problem." He took the box and broke it in half with his bare hands, shoving the remains in his pocket.

"Fine. Let's say that was all that was recording. What then?" I asked.

"What then? Well, I'd like you answer a few questions for me."

"About?"

"Stuff."

_This sounds familiar, _I thought. "How do I know I can trust you?"

Steven looked at me curiously. "Why wouldn't you?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Maybe, it's because I haven't seen you in like, two years? Plus, I'm really thinking that you were here that whole time. What exactly _have _you been doing? Why did you leave?"

Steven hadn't been my first choice of a "friend" or "partner" in the resistance movement, but he definitely wasn't my last. Steven had power in years past, and that attracted a lot of people to join the rebellion. It was because they _didn't _have power, and it made them feel stronger.

In addition to Steven, two members of the Elite Four were on our side; Phoebe and Sidney. The other two had mysteriously vanished six years ago, when the rebellion started up. I had a sneaking suspicion that the military had something to do with it.

Steven sighed. "Look, I have my own reasons for being here, but let me assure you, I'm still helping you out." _So he didn't answer me, _I thought. _So he's hiding something._ I knew that he was obviously hiding something, but I probably wouldn't find it out for a while. Not with the way he was playing it safe.

Steven Stone wouldn't break under me. I wasn't strong enough to do anything like that.

"Yes, because bringing another head figure of the resistance to work for the military helps everyone out _so_ much," I retorted. Everything about me had now become hostile and Steven knew it well. I saw concern as well as anxiety in his eyes, which were the same color as his hair.

"I didn't ask you to show up if that's what you're asking."

_He didn't? Then who did? Have we been betrayed by someone else?_ "Then who did? You should know- you're one of them," I spat. My voice was now full of a venomous anger, and it seemed to shift Steven's mood too.

"I'm not sure."

"How could you not know?! You're a General for Arceus' sake!" I had recognized it immediately upon seeing how much more elegant his crest was compared to say… Brendan's.

"I just got promoted!" Steven glared at me.

"Whatever," I said. "I'm leaving. After all, I have a new position to get to." If Steven was here, then that must mean something was up. Once again, I was unsure whether or not to go through with the whole thing.

As if he could read my mind, Steven protested. "Oh no you don't. You are not leaving the military a second time!"

He saw my hesitation. He saw my fear. I don't know how, but he did. I hated people like that- they were able to venture into the places of my mind I kept the most secret.

"Why would I do that?" I asked quietly. "You're going to set my father and Shelly and Matt and the rest of Team Aqua free." And that was it. The sentence I spoke made tears glaze over my dark blue eyes- a feeling which I knew all too well.

It was pathetic to think about. Me- who cried every damn day for the first year I was on my own- was here now, my eyes still holding tears.

The atmosphere in the elevator seemed to change with the tone of my words. I felt Steven's pitying presence appear near my uncertain one and I quickly pressed the button to open the doors, walking out as soon as they were open. I blinked several times, focusing on the matter at hand. I had to become strong again and cast aside anything that would weaken me.

"_It's not your fault for _feeling!_ It's natural! If you didn't feel, I'd be concerned for you. But sometimes, you're gonna need to push all that feeling deep inside you, to a place no one else can see it from. Because Astoria, people take advantage of the most human things, calling them weakness and sin. And girly, they're so incredibly wrong, but I know you. I know how broken you are now. So hold yourself together for the time being- that is a true show of strength."_

Phoebe's words from six years ago echoed in my mind, feeling just as real as the sound of my footsteps in the glass tunnel. It reminded me of a place in Unova she'd once told me she'd visited. _Gosh, I need to visit her again. I haven't seen her in what- seven months? Dear Arceus I am such a bad resistance participant. _Phoebe was the older sister to everyone there, the role model, the one to pick us up. And to be honest, I needed that feeling right about then.

"You know that I'm in charge of the Delta Division right?" Steven had followed me halfway down the tunnel, though I must've been too busy to hear him.

Questions filled my mind "What's the Delta Division?" I asked. I knew how stupid it sounded, and it probably sounded even stupider to Steven. But then again, I was talking to a genius ex-Champion, so anything anyone said to him must sound unintelligent.

Steven smiled. "It's where you're being assigned. The Delta Division is our most secret section of the military, and I guess it's where whoever sent you that letter decided to put you." _Oh. Just great. Isn't that a coincidence that the one man I don't want to see is in charge of where I'm being posted? _I made a mental note of that, reminding myself that was one of many coincidences lining up in the situation.

"Well then General Stone," I mocked, "why don't you introduce me to my future co-workers?"

"With pleasure."

* * *

I didn't see what code Steven put into the keypad outside the door, but I was sure I would get my own eventually. In a matter of seconds, the door opened.

And let me tell you, the inside was gorgeous.

It wasn't all super high tech or anything, it just had this clean and modern feel to it. It reminded me of a penthouse apartment, and it had the same type of smell- kind of like the new car smell but with a little more B.O.

The main room was circular, with what looked like a door covered by a curtain leading to a balcony going outside on the right half of the room. _What? _I wondered. _Do they want us to drown?_ I knew I was going to check it out later, but I didn't know exactly when. The walls were painted gray, accented by the red carpet and modern-looking white lights which were hanging from the ceiling near the stainless steel kitchen. Even at night, natural light was coming from the balcony-window thing, but I assumed it came from the water outside. Y'know, unless I was wrong about that.

Next to the kitchen, there were six rooms stretching on both the left and right. Each door was closed, and on them, there were different designs and color schemes. They had an odd order to them- I'd have expected them to be near other doors with like colors.

Heh, maybe it was just my artistic eye speaking again.

The first door on the right of the kitchen was light blue and white with a red triangle in the middle. The door next to it had the same design, but the colors were switched around, with it being mainly red and white and the triangle blue. The door furthest to the right was painted with rusty red and pale turquoise stripes intertwining, as well as a mystic purple circle in the middle.

To the left of the kitchen were three more doors, this time each of them seemed to have a similar theme. The first one was a light brown with dark brown and rusty orange accents. I noticed that the orange was in a specific pattern- seven dots resembling an uppercase h. The other doors had pattern like that too- the blue and white door had yellow dots looking like a lowercase t and the black and silver door had red dots in a circle.

On my left were another three doors, but as I turned around to face them, I saw a boy- again, about my age- dozing on a dark gray couch in front of a large flat screen television. I swear, his black hair was defying gravity by standing up straight like that. He had thick, dark eyebrows that made it look like he was narrowing his closed eyes. His skin was darker like mine, but he looked much taller, even while laying down. He was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, and typical military pants and boots.

"Antares!" Steven called. The boy opened his eyes- which appeared to be dark brown- and stood up, dusting himself off even thought there was no reason to. He had very broad shoulders and muscular arms. This guy appeared to be one I didn't want to cross; I had a feeling he could beat me in any hand-to-hand combat, even though I'd had my fair share of practice.

"Yeah General?" he asked. His voice was surprisingly soft despite his appearance. "Uh, I mean, yes General?"

Steven's face remained straight. "Where is everyone else?"

Antares scratched his head. "Off… training?"

Steven sighed in frustration. "Antares, we've discussed this before, haven't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I-I mean, yes sir!"

Never mind. My first impression of this guy was wrong, he seemed to be pretty chill.

"No matter. Astoria Mizuko, meet Antares O'Halleran." Antares extended his hand happily and I reached mine out to shake it. During the exchange, I noticed a tattoo on his hand, though I couldn't quite make out what it was.

The gesture was a nice change of pace to be honest. Antares' facial expression didn't change at all when Steven said my name, which I hadn't been entirely used to.

He was treating me like a normal person so far.

I let go of his hand and placed mine in my pocket. "Nice to meet you," I said. I was desperately trying to be casual, but his demeanor was catching me off guard, reminding me of countless people who I'd grown to know. It was giving me a different awkward vibe than it had been with Tate, but there was _still_ a vibe.

"Pleasure is all mine," he replied. Steven looked on and I could feel his burning gaze through my back. I wasn't sure why, but he seemed to be playing Mr. Nice Guy, which was odd- especially considering that he was indeed a _General._

I turned back to Steven, whose gaze was no longer on me, but on the door to the balcony. "Astoria?" he asked distractedly.

"Yes?"

Steven gestured to the rest of the room. "I have a few things to do, why don't you look around?" Before I could reply, he started walking over to the door.

Antares looked at me in a strange way after Steven left. "He said your name was Astoria Mizuko?"

I nodded.

"Doesn't Mizuko mean water in another language?" Antares asked.

"Uh huh. I think it's one of those lesser regions, like Orre."

"Is that your real last name?" he followed up.

I thought for a moment before answering. "Um, no, not really. I never knew my real last name, so I picked one myself."

Antares nodded, being polite the whole time. "What made you decide to choose a foreign word?"

"I-I don't know." _I had my reasons for picking it, and I also have my reasons for not sharing it, _I thought smugly.

"Oh" was all he said. There was an awkward silence between us for a minute, as if Antares was making up his mind about something or another.

"Do you want me to show you around?" Antares asked suddenly, breaking the brief barrier between us. "Because, I know for a fact that I can do that!"

The way Antares talked made me think of someone I would want as I younger brother, and I felt secure, for once forgetting that I was now employed to the military. _Like Phoebe and Sidney…_

I smiled and nodded. An enormous grin spread across Antares' face and he grabbed my left wrist, almost dragging me across the red carpet. Since the room was circular, there were no corners to place things like a kitchen. Somehow though, the way things were set up, it seemed like there were corners. Behind the place Antares was napping earlier, I got a better look at the kitchen, full of stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. _Wow, the military spared no expenses!_

My eyes were eventually drawn back to the doors, looking at their elaborate designs. As I looked closer, I saw most of the lines and designs were carved in, making them pop to whoever saw them, but not ever bringing more attention than they should.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Antares asked. I nodded slowly.

"Do you know who designed and painted them?"

Antares opened his mouth to answer, letting out a few sounds like "Bren" but seemingly thought against saying it all. "Not sure" was all he managed to say completely.

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe you," I replied.

"Well, you might not, but the reason I asked to show you around was not so we could look at doors, it was so you could meet the rest of us!"

"I thought you didn't know where they were."

Antares shrugged. "I-um, might've bent the truth about that particular subject." I couldn't help but smile at his comment. I would've done that too, I already sort of lied to Steven that day. "Anyway, c'mon Astoria! I want you to meet everyone before they have to go out again!"

_Go out again? _

"So, what is it that you do when you… go out?"

"Train," Antares replied.

I blinked a couple of times. "Train? What about missions or anything?" When I had been in the military before, divisions like this had gone on "missions" to enforce the citizens of Hoenn to obey the laws. There had never been just a division that trained.

Antares didn't answer- he just walked over to a door and opened it. "C'mon Mizuko!" I internally sighed and followed suit, knowing that Steven would want me to. I mean, he had said so in the first place.

For now I had to trust him. I had to believe that he was on my side, even though my doubts were outweighing all other feelings. I would definitely be consulting with everyone back in Lilycove about the situation, but I had to stay level-headed and calm until then.

The door had been the orange and brown one, and as soon as we entered the room, my eyes had to adjust to the level of brightness suddenly surrounding us. An electronic hum was constantly in the background, making me feel like I was in Mauville again.

"Hey Rox, we got a visitor!" Antares called out.

_Rox? Like an actual rock? Or is it just an abbreviation for this dude's name? _

"Coming!" I heard a woman's voice call out. Feeling genuinely puzzled, I waited for the lady to show herself, hearing the crinkling of papers and rolling of a chair.

From around the corner of a tower of electronic devices and blinking lights rolled a woman older than me by vaguely three or four years. She was sitting on a black desk chair with wheels and had reading glasses on, which caused a fierce glare to come over her crimson gaze. She had wavy brown hair reaching past her shoulders was wearing a strange hairpin with a design almost identical to Antares' tattoo. She had on a dark gray tank top and a pair of sweats, clothes that I knew thousands couldn't simply afford.

She must have noticed me staring at the pin in her hair, for her left hand went up to cover it.

"Oh sorry!" I apologized. "It's just that Antares has a design similar to that on his hand."

The woman looked at Antares. "Did you tell her nothing Andy, or did you expect us to do it for you?"

"I am still standing here you know," I threw in. "Also- who's Andy?"

"Sorry Roxanne! I just thought maybe you or Liza or Brawly or Bren-"

"STOP!" Roxanne said fiercely. _That's the second time I've heard that "Bren" sounding name, _I quickly processed. _Who is that?_

Antares lowered his gaze to the floor, which was surprisingly something close to tile. "Sorry," he muttered.

Roxanne sighed. "I'm sorry about him," she said. "You don't have to act so scared though. I'm not going to bite or anything!"

_Do I look scared? _"Oh, I just…"

Roxanne waved one hand as if to toss something. "It's fine. By the way, I'm Roxanne, former leader of the gym in Rustboro City, current member of the PMS."

"Premenstrual syndrome?" I asked. Antares snickered in the background while Roxanne glared at him.

"Ha! It means Proud Members of Service," Antares answered. I must not have pissed off Roxanne as much as I thought, for a smile lingered on her face too.

"I like you already! What did you say your name was?" she finally asked.

I swallowed nervously. "Astoria Mizuko." That weird look people gave me after they heard my name was unnerving and I hated it.

Just a name could have power, like many others before had proven. But I guess Roxanne was just as surprised as the rest.

"Oh. Well, It's a pleasure to meet you Astoria. I've heard a lot about…" Roxanne's voice faltered, and honestly, I didn't blame her. It's not your typical conversation with your brother about how things have been lately.

Suddenly, a much louder ring filled the dark room, making me jump a little. Roxanne rolled back to her desk in the chair she had been sitting in. She must've picked up a phone, because I heard her voice coming in whispers.

"We should go," Antares said. "There are still six- um, five others you have to meet."

"But you said I was the ninth!" I said. It was more or less in the tone of asking a question, but Antares only shook his head as my supposed answer. I followed him out the door and was temporarily blinded by the light. It was much brighter, and soon I saw why.

Steven was walking out of the door that led "outside" and back in, leaving more light to filter through the partially opened curtain.

"Steven!" I said. He looked at me quizzically than walked out of the room entirely and into the tunnel, leaving me with nothing but that confused look to ponder.

_No, _I thought. _That wasn't the look of a puzzled man- that was the look of a proud one._

* * *

_ (Somewhere far away from Hoenn)  
_

He sat, eagerly awaiting the news from Hoenn. Surely, the Nine had finally been gathered. It had been seven years and he wasn't sure if he could wait that much longer.

Everything had a precise order, and the dominoes would only start falling if Hoenn was the one to tip them in the first place. Nothing would flow right if that didn't work.

A soft knock came from the door to his right. It opened, revealing a woman in her late-thirties with long violet hair falling softly on her shoulders. She made eye contact with him before bowing.

"Sir, he's on call now."

A smile couldn't help but escape his lips. "Good. Anything else to report Diantha?"

The woman stood up straight. "Actually sir, the recon team has discovered the ancient site, and is unearthing the cocoon as we speak."

Well that was even greater news! He could almost feel the power flowing through him like the adrenaline that pulsed through his veins. It was so close now… So very close…

"Sir?"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry. You may leave now." He reached his hand and made a motion to brush her aside. She nodded and closed the door, leaving him to his conference. He looked around briefly and flicked on the switch that allowed him to access virtual calls from his wrist's watch.

The other man appeared in front of him, nothing but fragments of projected light and transferred sound. It was going to be a short meeting, for the man sitting alone in the room had only one question this time.

"How long?" he asked.

The other man answered almost immediately. "It could be done in a year."

"A year?! How is that…? We only need one year until it-"

The holographic man smirked. "The General reported the interactions between the Soldier and Alpha, as well as the Rock , Soldier and Alpha. It's incredible the level of familiarity all of them are on already."

"How ironic. And the Blocks?"

"The surgical recovery has left quite the mark upon her sanity I'm afraid. The General is unsure whether or not it is temporary, but it won't matter will it?"

"No. She just has to be alive. But still, this is great news. I'll start preparations here."

"Farewell. I will contact you before the year is up."

The projected man faded and disappeared, leaving no trace he'd been there in the first place.

The man sitting in the chair was completely dumbfounded to say the least. _One year. Incredible._

He chuckled and repeated the words of fortune softly. "Only one year until this all begins again."

* * *

**THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE AWESOME FEEDBACK!** **That made writing this so, so easy!**

**Now, I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year and best of luck to you all. I would have posted this right at midnight, but hey, gotta watch the ball drop "live" (yeah right. East coast broadcasting lies! It lies!). Am I right?  
**

** I also want to thank cometshadow, for she has made my year so awesome! This whole story wouldn't be possible without your support!**

* * *

**I also want to thank everyone who reviewed:**

**Guest1267: Thank you so much! You were the first reviewer, so have a digital cookie!**

**Shinymudkip25: Your review doesn't count. I know you IRL, so ha!**

**lightxhope2124: Thanks! Steven Stone is um... interesting to say the least and no, Astoria Mizuko is not Flannery. Flannery is just as important to the story though. ;)**

**cometshadow: Senpai! You noticed me! And THANK YOU! I was reading like crazy to get the feel for it right. Hope I nailed it. Maybe?**

* * *

**Please review if you liked it. Or didn't like it. Whatever's cool with you. Also- if you have questions, I'm fine with you leaving them in the reviews or submitting them by PM. And I am now adding that I understand this chapter is confusing, but like lightxhope2124 said, it will all become clearer. But still, if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask them.  
**

**Also- I changed some stuff regarding the time and corrected some mistakes. So there, happy? You should be.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I changed a few things regarding the time of day the previous chapter took place, so if you're confused, you can always reread that. **

**Oh, and I'm forgetting that "Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon" thing. So there you go.**

* * *

As soon as Shelly left, there was an uncomfortable silence filling the room. No matter how many times I'd face it, it was always insufferable. I felt pitied by it, almost as if it was mocking me for being alone.

"No one should be alone," I whispered to myself. I talked to myself a lot when all the other members of the Team were out doing their various jobs. I internally sighed and set to work trying to figure out what symbols I was dealing with.

"Hmm, they're definitely not symbols from Johto - those look too much like common letters. These might be from Sinnoh, but if they were, they must've been ancient lettering, which they're not. Um…" I ran through all the possibilities in my head, each one progressing to sound dumber and dumber.

"Could be Kalosian…" I muttered. "Kalosian… Kalosian…" The last region on my list was very vague in general. I'd only read about Kalos in tourist magazines, and frankly it seemed rather dull. The tourism mainly came from its lore-focused vibe and large cities, which wasn't my cup of tea.

Well, the cities anyway.

I leaned back in the chair, once again hating how it was attached to the metal desk my work was on. I stared at the dark stone wall in front of me, deep in thought.

_Kalos… who could I ask about Kalos? _Father was gone and so was Shelly, so my choices were extremely limited.

"Well screw this!" I yelled suddenly slamming the book shut. "I'll get nowhere like this!" I looked to the right hand corner of the desk and grabbed the folder sitting there.

"Tch, why did I do that?" I asked aloud to the air. "My drawings won't help now." I sensed the bitter feeling of defeat creep along my skin. It was time to change the subject.

There was no reply. _As if I even expected there to be one, _I thought. Sighing, I set the book and folder down, one on top of the other.

_So much for that. Now let's see, what else could we do instead of sitting here all day?_ I referred to myself as "we" a lot when I was alone, though I wasn't quite sure why. _We could vandalize the Team vending machine! And if we don't, we could just buy something from it._

"So it's settled then!" My decisions when it came to activities were generally made very quickly. I slid out of my chair and quickly changed out of my pajamas into my normal clothing.

I stood on front of Shelly's mirror and nodded confidently. Unlike most female trainers my age, I didn't worry too much about appearances- mostly because I never made one. I _did_ however feel the need to wear something similar to the other members of Team Aqua, so I had chosen to wear blue, black and white.

Over a white tank top I wore my sleeveless dark blue shirt. It was outlined in black and it didn't have any zippers- only gold colored metal buckles- to keep it closed. It had a higher collar that stopped just below my cheekbones, but I kept it unclasped a little bit so my neck wouldn't be invisible. Besides that, I wore simple black sweatpants and black boots.

"I look like my mother," I suddenly said aloud. I didn't know where the words had come from, and a few seconds after saying them, I began to wonder if I even said at all.

_Why would I say that? I don't even remember h-_

And suddenly my emotions raced through me like a flood. Tears began pouring down my face uncontrollably, my heart beating faster as they did so. The dark room around me was comforting though, and soon I calmed myself, remembering where I was.

I was with my father. I was with my father.

My… father. He wasn't much of one, but he was all I had now. It had taken a while to find him, and I wasn't going to let that go to waste by thinking about what life might've been like if I still had Mother.

Those thoughts satisfied me.

I stood up straight and wiped my face with my arm, putting on a cold look as I did so. _I will become unbreakable, _I thought. _Father wants me to end up working at his side. No, I want to work at his side. Therefore, I must act like an adult to gain the respect of one._

I walked by my desk, grabbed the small box from Father, and strode out of the room.

I was unknowing of the events that would follow in the next two hours. I was unknowing of the fate of the whole region was about to be changed.

* * *

I leaned over and looked at the digital alarm clock on the mahogany nightstand beside my new bed. It told me the time was twelve forty-seven in the morning.

I hadn't been sleeping per se, it was more like I had been dozing and dwelling on my own thoughts.

Antares had shown me to my bedroom- it had been across from the kitchen and was painted a dark blue- and let me settle in. He had changed his mind about meeting everyone, but I had a feeling something else was up.

The room I was in wasn't extremely large but at the same time, it wasn't small. Steven had been kind enough to place files containing information on my new "teammates" on a small wooden desk pressed against the wall. There had been a small package on top of all of them, but I didn't exactly feel like opening it. Nothing felt right to me at all.

I'd tried reading a little about the privileges of being a PMS (Proud Member of Service), but none of it interested me. The only extended privileges a person got were a little more food and a little more money, but that was about it. It wasn't the greatest leap from having citizen benefits in my opinion.

I was sitting on a full sized bed, desperately waiting for the people outside in the main room to go to sleep. I wanted to run away from here and meet Sidney and Phoebe.

From what little news I'd been watching, I could tell the two of them were acting very low-key without me. When it was the three of us, we'd attack food shipments to the military and deliver what we stole to the homeless and starving. It had been a nice adrenaline rush, and I had honestly felt like I was making a difference for others.

It made me feel happy and peaceful and brave all at the same time.

"YOU CAN'T JUST EXPECT THIS TO SLIDE WITH EVERYONE ANTARES!" came a shout from the other room. I recognized the voice from last night (it technically was- don't judge) and cringed. Tate had given the first impression of an authoritative figure, but he didn't seem like that great a leader.

There was silence for a few seconds before more voices rose to either argue or agree. I couldn't hear them very well, but I had a feeling they were talking about me.

There had been no way I could afford new clothing, so my friends had made my old ones bigger using fabric from my military uniform. I'd added a few hidden pockets for stealing things but still to think, I had that same buckled shirt after seven years! My right hand instinctively went up my left arm, stopping near the top. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary on my skin, but the tattoo was still there whether I could feel it or not.

_Whether I can feel it or not, whether I realize it or not…_

"WELL WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO ABOUT IT LIZA?!" Liza. Tate's twin sister. "BRING HER OUT HERE?!"

More hushed conversation ensued.

_Dear Arceus, do they really think I can't hear them? No, the question would be if Tate thinks I can't hear _him _yelling_, I thought dryly. I eyed the files on my desk. _No. We are not about to read military files on these people. That would cause trust issues._

I almost laughed. It _was_ all about trust- wasn't it? I definitely had my work cut out for me. I mean, after leaving the military and then coming back? Two words- trust and issues.

I shook my head and stood up, walking towards the door and desk. Steven would eventually make me read the files anyway, so why not get it over with now? Besides- there were probably sound recorders or something in the room that would allow the surveillance division of the military to hear me. If I did anything, I was sure they would somehow know exactly what it was.

_Freaks._

"But she's the daughter of-"

"I _know_ who she is Rox! But if you expect me to allow a parasite like that to infect our division, then you are wrong!" I heard Tate's voice again, but it was softer this time.

"Well fine! You may be against getting our ninth, but most of us aren't. Right guys?" That was Roxanne.

I heard some grunts and muffled replies, but nothing firm.

"…_if you expect me to allow a parasite like that to infect our division…" _So I was a parasite now?

Parasite.

I was considered a parasite by one of the people I was going to be working with.

"Oh no," I whispered angrily. I left the files and marched towards the door. "You will not get away," I twisted the door handle and swung it open, "with calling me something as insulting as a parasite!" My voice had transformed from the whisper to a yell.

Everyone in the main room turned to stare at me. They were gathered around the couch, sitting on beanbags and stools they must've gathered. Tate stood closest to my room, not sitting on anything.

At any other time, I would've felt embarrassed to be stared at like that for so long, but I had created tension. By doing that, I had entered more of my element.

"What are you doing?" muttered Tate. "Can't you see we're in the middle of a conversation?"

A girl taller than me but shorter than Tate stood up and shoved his shoulder angrily. She walked over to me with a neutral expression on her face.

"Please forgive my younger brother. He can be kind of an idiot sometimes," she said. She extended her left hand to me and I uncomfortably shook it. Left hand shakes were always awkward to me.

"Don't call me your younger brother!" Tate hissed between his teeth.

"I take it you must be Liza?" I asked, ignoring Tate's comment. She nodded, her dark blue eyes seeming to sparkle a little bit. I heard Tate scoff in the background.

As soon as we dropped hands, Liza turned around and glared at her brother. "Do you have a problem?"

Tate shrugged but I could tell it was a pissed off kind of shrug. "I'm not going to saying anything until the non-member leaves the discussion."

_Non-member? _

"Non-member? Really?" a fiery looking redheaded girl with fiery looking red eyes who was sitting on a stool asked dryly.

"Shut up," Tate muttered.

The redhead held up her right index, middle and ring fingers. "Read between the lines Tate."

Antares and a green-headed boy started snickering as well as the redhead.

"Ha ha, very funny Flannery," Tate said with a glare. He ran a hand through his dark blue hair aggressively.

"Um, what's going on here?" I whispered to Liza. She had turned to stare at me, her gaze briefly resting on my left shoulder.

The bluenette replied in a soft tone. "Tate doesn't see you as a member here, more or less as an intruder."

_Yeah, I kinda picked up on that. "_So how would he see me as a member of your little club here? Is there like an initiation or something?" I asked. I needed to hurry up and get involved with these people here before they tried to involve me or else I would look like an idiot.

A man sitting next to Roxanne spoke up. He was wearing a simple black hoodie and some cargo shorts. "Y'know, you're not the best at whispering over there. We can all hear you." The man looked to be around the same age as Roxanne, maybe younger by a year. His hair was sort of an aqua color, was cut to about his chin, and seemed to be naturally spiky. He had slightly tanned skin and bright aqua eyes to match his hair.

"Maybe I wasn't trying to whisper," I countered quickly. Was I really that loud? The man looked at Roxanne with a confused expression. I noticed that she was wearing the same one.

My face suddenly felt hot and I did a one-eighty to head back to my room. I quickly shut the door and heard the conversation pick up again after about a minute.

Feeling self-conscious, I walked over to the desk and sat down, looking for the jacket I had thrown on top of it recently. As soon as Liza had started looking at my shoulder, I had felt sick and unwelcome by all. Maybe it was too soon to go showing my true colors.

Not that I was, mind you.

I sat in silence, staring at the files Steven had placed for me. They were sitting on top of my jacket. _How is that possible? _I wondered. _I threw that thing off _after_ Steven left._

It freaked me out.

Was there someone else here? Could someone else get in? Was I just hallucinating? Was I being overly cautious?

_The package._

Those words seemed to ring in my head. "What package?" I whispered. And then I remembered. There had been a small package on top of the files. Maybe there was something in there that could help me.

I reached for the files and package, surprised when my own hands set the package down. It felt so wrong to go digging through other people's personal information. But then again, they all knew about me, so why couldn't I know about them?

I wanted to scream in frustration. Steven hadn't told me anything! All he had given me was the prideful smirk, one that I wouldn't forget. I didn't feel safe or at ease here; I felt like an intruder.

Was I agreeing with Tate? Was I saying that _I_ was an intruder?

Probably.

There was a soft knock on my door. I could still hear the murmurs of conversation, so I was sure it wasn't Tate knocking. Maybe it was Antares! He could help me! He had seemed so accepting before, so maybe he felt sorry for me or just wanted to flat out help.

The knock came again, a little more forceful this time. I placed the files in the upper right hand corner of the desk and pulled my jacket on. I didn't bother to zip it up.

"You can come in," I said. I figured it would be loud enough to hear, but apparently it was not due to the fact I heard a third knock. Internally sighing, I stood up and walked towards the door.

I opened it.

To my surprise, the redheaded girl from earlier walked in. She looked around briefly and she wore a stunned expression on her face.

"Impressive," she said. I quickly shut the door behind her before I had any other visitors.

"I'm sorry but what exactly is impressive?" I asked. _Her name is Flannery,_ I remembered. Flannery… The name sounded familiar to me somehow.

Flannery smiled and shrugged. "This room used to be our storage room, but whoever cleaned it up did a really good job! You should've seen this place before it looked like this!" She let out a low whistle.

Something Flannery said piqued my curiosity. "You mean you don't know who cleaned it up?"

Another shrug. "Nah, not really."

"But since you guys are part of an elite division, doesn't that restrict ordinary members from being down here?"

Flannery hadn't been facing me before, but she was now. "Look kid-" she started.

"Don't call me that," I interrupted angrily. I hated when people called me "kid." I really, really hated that.

"Kid, we have elite officers too y'know? None of us are fully in charge of everything here." Flannery continued on as if I hadn't said anything.

"Okay? Is that supposed to mean anything to me?"

"Nope."

"Then why did you even come in here?" I questioned.

"Um…" Flannery put a finger to her chin and looked around some more. She apparently found what she was looking for when she saw the package on my desk. She swiped it up and unwrapped it quickly. Whatever she pulled out was smaller than her hand and rolled in clear plastic bubble wrap. The low lighting in my room made it hard to see, but I could make out a dark blue and red coloring inside. "Gotcha!"

"What is that?" I asked. I was feeling stupider and stupider around these people. They all seemed to know things I didn't and to me, that was frustrating.

"This," Flannery said, "is your ticket to hearing everything."

"What do you mean?"

Flannery smiled and held up her left hand. On one of her fingers was a ring with the same design as Roxanne's hairpin and Antares' tattoo. Hers was colored differently, but it was indeed the same.

"Your name's Astoria right?"

I nodded my reply.

"Well Storie- can I call you Storie?- this little symbol indicates you're one of us," Flannery explained. I was partially confused because of my sudden "nickname", but the given information did make sense. The anklet I had seen Tate wearing on the elevator probably had the same charm. It was like two crescent moons had been stuck together, their points facing opposite ways. In between them was a piece of colored glass. It looked extremely familiar, but I couldn't quite place my finger on it.

"So, all I have to do is wear it and I'm in?"

"Uh huh. Now um, do have like a necklace or something I can put this on?"

I held out my hand with the bracelet on it. I hoped Flannery wouldn't be looking too close at the various charms on there- key stones were illegal nowadays.

She smiled and unwrapped my symbol. One of the moons was a deep, dark blue while the other was a bright white. The glass in between the two was a blood red, gradually getting lighter and lighter at the glass's edge.

"Sweet! This will only take a second to put on."

I remained standing while Flannery clipped the charm on one of my bracelet's golden loops. My thoughts kept drifting however. _Flannery, Flannery… Where have I heard that name before?_

"There! It's all finished!" Flannery took a step back as I brought up my bracelet to eye level. Among all the other charms, there it was, hanging as if it had been there the whole time.

"Thanks Flannery," I said quietly.

"No prob. It was the least I could do. I mean, I like Tate as much as the next girl, but sometimes he can be a pain in the ass."

"I'll bet," I replied.

Flannery smiled. "Yeah, it's a good thing you showed up because you're probably the only one that can bring his ego down to the level it needs to be."

I stared in surprise. "Even his sister doesn't get through to him?"

Flannery shook her head in response. "Nope. I don't really know how the whole sibling works out for those two, but their relationship is definitely below average." She shrugged. "But hey, now that we have your membership sorted out, why don't you come join us?"

I almost laughed. "Am I so likeable that off the bat you want me to be a part of things?"

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not entirely." I then yawned in spite of the fact I felt awake. A sudden thought occurred to me. "Say Flannery, why are all of you up so late?"

"What do you…? Oh I get it! You see, if we have any special assignments or missions, then they mostly take place in other regions that have different time zones. We just naturally got used to going to bed around one in the afternoon."

"Other regions?" My interest piqued immediately after hearing that.

"Yeah. We've been to Sinnoh, Kanto, Unova, Johto, Orre, etcetera. You name it we've probably been there at one point or another." She paused and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, except for Kalos. None of us have ever gone there."

_Kalos huh? That's strange considering it's one of the most famed regions. _Kalos had exploited its central city and turned it into a tourist attraction, making it one of the top regions for travel and tourism.

"Wow. That must mean you guys all get international status. That's impressive." International status was what everyone in Hoenn wanted for one reason or another. Most people wanted it to get away from the oppressive nature of the military, but it was exclusive to the highest of the high. Military officials and occasionally rich investors of the military would get the opportunity to gain the status.

Once you had international privileges, you could go anywhere in the world you wanted. Most people I knew would fly off to regions farthest away from Hoenn, but the choices for exploration were there.

_Other regions. Steven Stone as the General. Maybe he's finding a way to relay information to other people against Hoenn's rule. _All of my speculation would be incorrect if he wasn't actually on my side, but it was worth it to think about the reasons for everything happening.

I mean, Steven Stone was my comrade for Groudon's sake! Why wasn't I trusting of him? He had been working with me for years!

Granted he hadn't been a thief for years, but he was still working with me. There was definitely something bigger going on, but I couldn't figure it out. With what Flannery had just told me about the Division's sleeping schedule, sneaking out to meet up with Sidney or Phoebe would be difficult.

And to be fair, I wasn't in the best position to go and ask Steven. He was being very secretive- which wasn't unlike him- but it was a different type of secretive. He didn't want _me_ to know, which was something I was not used to. In the old rundown cities of eastern Hoenn, I was trusted by everyone with all the information my brain could handle.

I had to collect myself again and remember that I was in the upper levels of command now. To me, it seemed that whenever you got higher in the chain of power, the less you ended up knowing. So, where did that place me? How much knowledge was I to gain from this experience, if any?

Was that the reason I was here now? Was I here for my own benefit under someone else's power? Or was I still sticking to my true goal of freeing my friends? It was hard to discern, that was for sure.

"Hey Storie?"

"What? Sorry, I kinda spaced out." Flannery's voice had jerked me away from my thoughts and into reality once again. I needed to talk to Steven and this time be truthful about what was on my mind.

But I couldn't. As much as I needed to, as much as I wanted to, I was unsure. And even a sliver of uncertainty in that situation was enough to make me say no.

"I just asked if you were coming."

* * *

He was huddled inside one of the darkest caves in the region and the glow from the projection had only blinded him momentarily. Everything had adjusted.

Well, except for the fact that the tensions between the two were higher than ever.

"As if! Everything will work out. Trust me," the man continued. The two had just engaged in a high-pressure argument, leaving a sour feeling in the air.

"How can I trust you if you're unsure of the way this will work? I swear to Arceus if this whole thing fails…"

"It won't."

"And you can you be certain of that? You just voiced your concerns to me!"

"Your point?"

Silver scowled. This man had contacted him over four years ago, offering an interesting proposition. Now he was saying that there were concerns?

Silver wasn't even sure he wanted to continue going with this anymore. He was an adult now! He could do what he wanted! Sure, some people might've seen the offer as a privilege, but it wasn't seeming as luxurious now.

"I just don't know if I can do this anymore!" Silver whispered angrily to the holographic projection in front of him. He was wearing a specially made Holocaster from the Kalos region, and even after four years it never failed to amaze him.

"Oh? Why not? I already told you that you were a great candidate for this. But you know, if you choose to move on, then I'll just pick out another trainer instead." The holographic man was playing with his mind. Silver knew it.

He ran a gloved hand through his long red hair. "I've spent _four freakin' years_ trying to find this book of yours! Do you have any idea how frustrating this has been?!" Silver was losing it. This guy had demanded the impossible.

The man sighed. "Look, Silver, we both know this is indeed a daunting task, and we both know you can handle it. You've already discovered the location of Lugia and how to summon Ho-Oh. This book is no different than either of those things."

Silver buried his face in his right hand. He had been right.

"I honestly expected the son of a criminal organization to be better at such things."

And everything inside Silver snapped with just that sentence. The worries and concerns were washed away, leaving only what he enjoyed the most about himself- thirst. There was thirst to prove himself to everyone, to not be overshadowed by any.

"I'll do it. I swear I'm not giving up just yet," he said calmly. A strange glaze had come over his eyes, the thirst showing vividly. It was like a lust, a need so strong he would do anything to get it.

Anything.

Silver started laughing, but it was like a kindergartener's laugh; small and high-pitched. His face remained hidden by his hand, but if anyone had seen his eyes, they would have thought him demented.

The projected man's face broke into a large grin. _So the Soul's been re-ignited. That was surprisingly easy; I didn't even have to use any manipulative strength. Nice change of pace. _Silver continued to giggle as the man thought to himself. _So, who's next on the list?_

An image showed up on a screen in his current location. He quickly ignored the manic projected in front of him and opened up the new encoded message. It was from Sinnoh, and the man immediately expected to hear the worst.

His eyes skimmed over the text, looking for the real message in there.

He found it.

No, more precisely _she_ found it. Cynthia had actually gone and found the last book from Sinnoh.

She'd really gone and done it. Now all that was left to do was get it from her somehow…

* * *

**Hi guys! It's good to be able to have time to write again! I've been pretty busy with classes and such, but I am still alive and planning to update. I'm also a little shaken up because of a recent encounter with two massive spiders in my bedroom. I don't know if I can sleep tonight...**

**Now, I can't say I'm extremely happy with this chapter. I might go back and redo it if I have time...**

**Reviews!**

**Guest1267: Believe me, my eyes are red too. **

**lightxhope2124: Thanks for the compliments. I was super nervous when I started this- mainly because I thought no one would like it. And Hoenn characters are awesome, so yes expect many more to appear. And thanks for saying I deserve a cookie (I really want a physical one right now)!**

**Shinymudkip25: I have no words for you right now except thanks for the support. Really. I am that unenthusiastic right now.**

**cometshadow: We already talked. Plus, I hope you're feeling better! My um, whole weird motivational speech made me sound drunk, but I assure you I was not. I was merely tired.**

* * *

**Please review if you like it or not! And I am currently looking for Beta Readers, so if anyone is interested at all...  
**

**Yeah. Have a nice morning or night or evening or whatever this is.**


	4. Chapter 4

Flannery opened the door for me. "After you," she said. I nodded and walked out. To my surprise, conversation had nearly halted. I noticed that Tate had left the main room and that Roxanne's aqua-haired companion was now stacking the stools in a corner. I felt nervous, anxious, concerned, and worried- whatever you want to call it- over the events that would come. Something was off.

Flannery apparently noticed this too and indicated it with a quick blink. She beckoned me to sit down on the ground next to the couch which held Antares, who had stretched his legs out to cover the whole length of it. The green-haired boy had moved to the ground and was absently picking at his fingernail while Liza tried to shove Antares' feet off the arm of the couch so she could sit down. He responded with a yawn and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile Roxanne was staring at Flannery and I as we entered the room. She didn't seem too concerned about it, but her crimson eyes quickly darted away from mine as soon as they met. I didn't quite understand what had happened in the few minutes I had been gone, but the tension in the air seemed to have completely dissolved.

"Well look who's back," Antares said with emphasis on "look." He opened one of his brown eyes and looked straight at me.

Liza sighed in exasperation. "Antares, there's no need to state the obvious." She resumed trying to slide the boy's legs off the couch.

"But that's my special talent!" Antares pouted. "And you are not sitting on this couch arm thing. My feet claimed it first."

The two continued to bicker at each other in a friendly manner but I wasn't paying much attention for something far more interesting caught my eye. It was the boy with green hair. He had a pokeball holster on his belt, and it contained one of the military's most valued items: a shadow ball. My heart hurt for him immediately as I knew what exactly had happened to the pokemon inside.

He didn't seem to notice me though, as he promptly switched to pick at his other hand's nails.

"Alright, you two calm down now," Roxanne finally said after another minute. Liza glared at Antares as he wore a triumphant smirk. She exhaled in frustration and sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor. Flannery sat next to her while I continued to stand.

"You know you can sit down, right Astoria?" Roxanne asked. I nodded in reply, seeming to have lost my voice. She shrugged. "Hey Brawly," she said as she turned her head to the aqua-haired man. He stacked the last stool and looked back at her.

"What?" His voice, unlike Antares, was deeper than I expected, with somewhat of a surfer's accent behind it. Brawly wore a dark blue sweatshirt and cargo shorts, but other than his hair and build, nothing in particular stood out to me. I couldn't even see his double-moon charm.

"Are you ready to get started?"

Brawly shrugged and walked over. "Sure, why not?" He took a seat on the floor and Roxanne sat next to him, a little closer than what the others were to each other.

"So, I assume you know what this is right Astoria?" Roxanne asked me.

I nodded. "Isn't this like an orientation?" As I spoke, my voice came out shakier than I had expected. My hands were already sweaty and clammy, a sign that generally showed my discomfort better than anything else did.

Brawly chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "You just contradicted yourself by asking that question."

I blinked. "I did? Is that a bad thing?"

Roxanne smiled leisurely. "No, not at all. Brawly's just giving you a hard time." For some reason, her openness put me at ease. I slowly sat down, separating myself a little bit from everyone else. I pulled my knees up to my chest and draped my hands over my ankles.

"Anywaaay... I guess some introductions are in order," Brawly said after I settled. He gestured to himself. "I'm guessing you already heard my name, but I'm Brawly. I was living in Dewford Town before everyone on the island got dragged out here."

_Dewford Town, _I thought. From what I knew, it was on a small island where physically based trainers and pokemon had gone to train in years past. It made sense considering the build Brawly had. He was muscular, but not overly so. It appeared that he was one of the most physically capable of the group.

He then gestured to the green-haired boy who sat closest to me. "Your turn now Wally."

The boy looked up from his hands. "Oh, sorry. Like Brawly said, my name's Wally." Wally had a soft voice, sort of trembling even. In some places, his spiky green hair reached down to about his shoulders. He was wearing a light gray blazer jacket over a pale blue shirt and light colored jeans. I could see the chain of a golden necklace hanging around his neck, where I assumed his little charm was. His exterior appearance gave off the impression of being feeble and weak, but there was some sort of pressure coming from him that reminded me of authority.

I nodded, suddenly shy and humbled.

"Um, Wally, where exactly are you from and what exactly did you do?" Brawly followed up.

"Oops, sorry again," the boy said. "I'm from Petalburg City and I used to be a trainer." He cracked a smile at the end as if to make up for having to speak twice. Underneath that smile however, I could almost feel his sadness.

"Hello Wally," I began. "It's nice to meet you." Wally's icy blue eyes had become dull when he mentioned that he had been a trainer, but he extended a hand nonetheless. I reached towards him and shook it. A sudden thought came to me, but based on his reaction of being a trainer, I decided not to say anything.

"Next time can you please pay better attention?" Brawly said with a sigh. "Now, um, you've already met everyone else, so why don't you guys tell her a little bit more about yourselves?"

Antares groaned. "I'm tired! Can't we get this over with? I have a job in the morning to get to!"

"Please Andy," Roxanne said, using the boy's nickname. "We all have stuff to do tomorrow. Besides, just as a heads-up, Astoria will be tagging along with you tomorrow."

Antares sat straight up in excitement. "Really?!"

Liza smiled and with lightning speed pushed herself from the ground and up on the arm of the couch in an instant. "Yes! I win!"

"Wait, so you were lying about Astoria going with me?" He almost sounded… Disappointed.

Roxanne sighed. "No I wasn't. I should've let you know sooner, but I guess I forgot to tell you." She pushed a lock of her brown hair back behind her ear.

"Wait, what am I doing?" I asked. I was genuinely confused because I thought that Steven would at least have given me a day of settling in.

Roxanne flicked her hand as if she was brushing away a bug. "I'll tell you later. Now where were we? Oh yeah, Andy, it's your turn."

Antares shrugged. "Fine, fine. I'll go. My name's Antares and I'm from Nimbasa City in Unova. I moved to Hoenn when I was younger and now I'm here." He paused. "There, happy now?"

Brawly nodded. "That's good enough. Now, who's next?"

Flannery and Liza both looked at each other as if they expected the other to go. When neither of them said a word and the room filled with silence, I asked the question that had been in the back of my mind for a while.

"So what _exactly _is it that you guys do?"

Flannery looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"Well, um, you are in a division that's part of the military. You must have some significance if you guys exist."

Flannery looked to Brawly for an explanation. His aqua eyes grew dull as they met mine. "It's actually not that complicated," he said. "Basically we're mercenaries for the military. We're loaned out to the highest bidder, whomever that might be for whatever purpose they need. We occasionally do missions without our pokemon, but that happens less and less now."

I stared dumbfounded. "Hold up. You mean to tell me anyone can use you if they have the money?"

Roxanne nodded. "Yeah, if they have some military connection anyway. If we're not in use like right now, then we become default soldiers around the region."

"So I'm a mercenary now?" I whispered half to myself. I didn't know what I thought of the situation, but it wasn't a normal one for sure.

Wally spoke up. "But that's not all we do. If any other divisions need special materials, then we can get those too."

"So, basically we run whatever errand General Stone wants us to," Flannery said flatly. "And those days are just the best."

"Oh." I didn't really know what else to say besides that. Flannery had already told me that they went all around the world, so I couldn't even begin to imagine how many other people out there knew about this small group of nine.

Nine? That was right. There was a ninth person I hadn't met yet.

"So, I'm guessing no one else would like a turn to share?" Brawly asked Flannery and Liza. They both shook their heads. "That's totally fine guys, but Liza, could you tell us about your brother?"

"Why? Is it because he's not here and you're going to make fun of him?" Liza asked. "You know I'll join you guys, but he'll be even more pissed at you all."

Antares laughed. "Fine by me. If he goes into rage mode, maybe a nice hit to the head will help him get back to his normal self."

Flannery eyed him suspiciously. "_You'd _be the one to hit him Antares?"

"Oh for Groudon's sake no! That would be Liza's job," he said with a chuckle.

Brawly sighed. "Okay then. I guess that's out. So Rox, you have anything to add?"

Roxanne shook her head. "I don't think so, but if you're ready, I can go get Bryndell."

And there it was. The name I had only been hearing fragments of up until now. Bryndell. "Who's Bryndell?" I asked.

Roxanne and Brawly shared a glance. He nodded and said, "You'll see." Roxanne stood up and walked towards the balcony door. She pulled back the curtain, opened the glass door, and took a few steps out.

I noticed that Antares, Liza, Wally and Flannery were exchanging looks with each other, mostly ones that made them look anxious.

Roxanne poked her head out from the behind the door. "Alright guys. You can all come on out here." I stood up immediately despite the fact everyone besides Brawly was acting on-edge and sitting on the ground. Brawly apparently noticed this and beckoned them to stand up, each one taking their time.

I waited for them, unsure of what else to do. Their reactions worried me, made me feel unsafe. Who was this person we were going to see? Was it even a person?

"Geez," Brawly sighed. "You guys really are edgy tonight." He turned to Roxanne's direction. "Y'know what? We'll stay here. Astoria, you go with Roxanne for now."

I wore a worried expression on my face. "Am I going to be okay?" I asked.

The aqua-haired man sighed again. "Yes, you will be fine. Bryndell's not bad at all. These guys are just making her out to be some big, bad head figure. Ignore them."

Brawly's words made me feel a little calmer, but not much. I was still a bit skeptical about this girl I was going to meet and the fact that no one else wanted to was… disheartening.

I nodded half to myself and walked over to the door where Roxanne waited. I looked outside of it and saw nothing but the ocean and a metal balcony. I was confused at first because no water was rushing into the room, but after a quick glare caught a few feet in front of the balcony, I realized a bubble of glass surrounded the area. Because of how dark the water was beyond it though, there were lights on the outside of the building we were in. It actually did surprise me that the building was artificial, but it didn't matter too much.

I turned back to Roxanne and opened my mouth to tell her how pretty it was, but she shook her head and walked onto the metal outside.

"Hey Bryndell? I have someone you need to meet, so get up here!" Roxanne turned around and beckoned me out with her. Without hesitation, I did as she ordered.

"…Really? Is she the last one?"

So a reply came. I was somewhat surprised that someone who secluded themselves out here would answer, but part of me expected it too. Something, however was off. The voice sounded… dead.

"Dang Bryndell! How'd you know it was a girl?"

"Just a… guess." I heard movement under the balcony and in a few seconds saw a woman maybe two years older than Roxanne and Brawly in front of me. Her hair was long- reaching down past her waist. It was a pale blond, and I guessed that in a certain light, it would look white.

But that was not what stood out most about her appearance. I felt guilty almost saying it aloud, but it hard not to be concerned about it. And I could've said anything else about her! Like how pretty her eyes were or how… well, that was about it. I guess nothing about her looked nice. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes were dull and empty. She was thin, almost like she hadn't had a meal for weeks.

And then there was her arm. Just her left one though, because the right was gone. Just… gone. Her right shirt sleeve was filled with part of her hair that had been pulled into a long ponytail. Part of me wondered if it was meant to function as a stand-in for her arm, but judging by how her left hand clutched what was left of the other shoulder, I guessed otherwise.

"You can go ahead and say it. I don't really care about it anymore," Bryndell said suddenly. I was forced out of my thoughts and stared back at her in surprise. What did she mean?

In an attempt to draw attention away from the other's missing arm, Roxanne intervened. "Bryndell, this is our last member. Her name's-"

"Let me guess. Astoria Thatc-"

"No!" I shouted as I interrupted Bryndell's response. Suddenly feeling nervous, I continued in a soft voice. "It's Astoria Mizuko."

If Bryndell had any expression in her eyes, I would have guessed she'd look skeptical. "I… see. Interesting last name."

I didn't reply. I couldn't reply. No one was supposed to know what my mother's last name was. I mean, I had let others like Antares know Mizuko was fake, but how could this stranger know my last name? It wasn't logical.

Unless she heard it from someone else.

But I hadn't even told Steven that! Not Phoebe or Sidney, not Brendan or his neighbor friend. I had told no one.

"I apologize if I offended you in any way," Bryndell said after seeing my reaction. Her voice was as dead as before. "It's a rather bad habit of mine to say things without thinking."

"N-no, it's fine…" I replied, my voice trailing off at the end.

Roxanne opened her mouth to say something, but a look from Bryndell silenced her. "Roxanne, you know you don't have to be here," she said. "I know you're stressed over a lot. Go rest."

Roxanne then stood with me in shock. "How could you tell?"

"Do you even need to ask? Your body language was speaking for itself. You haven't slept for days."

I glanced over at Roxanne. She appeared to be standing straight up, hands in her pockets. Nothing seemed to be screaming "fatigued."

"And Astoria, you should probably go to. You're going out with Antares to the mainland tomorrow. If you don't calm your anxiety down before then, I'm sure you'll have issues."

Anxiety? Sure, I'd been feeling nervous all night, but I didn't consider it to be that much of a problem. Actually, the more I thought about it, the more negative thoughts seemed to pile up in my brain.

Accidently, Roxanne and I spoke simultaneously. I tried to say "Thank you, it was nice to meet you" while Roxanne tried to say "Thanks Bryndell." It didn't work out too well.

Bryndell didn't appear to notice though and dismissed us both with a wave of her hand. "Get out of here."

_Who _is_ that? _I wondered. _How did she know all the things she did about us?_

But those thoughts would eventually get pushed away, because inevitably Steven Stone showed up right after that.

* * *

**Tate's POV**

I just felt so awful about everything at that moment. I didn't mean to call her those things, I honestly didn't. Everything just sort of tumbled out of my mouth in a jumbled mess.

_No, stop thinking about it, _I told myself. I had to search my memories, had to search my feelings and find out if that girl really was there three years ago. If she was, then I would have an excuse for calling her a parasite. Personally, I hated people like her who just drifted between alliances whenever it benefited them the most.

But how could I know that for sure? Maybe she finally had made a concrete decision about her loyalties. If that was the case, then I could find her a little more trustworthy, no matter what side Astoria did end up picking.

_Certainty is better than uncertainty just as a choice is better if you determine it beforehand. _Those were just stupid words that floated around my head for the past few years. Liza called me an idiot. Bryndell called me conflicted. General Stone called me incapable.

But I had to be certain of my loyalty so I wouldn't act like an idiot, so I would no longer be conflicted, and so I could become a little less incapable.

_Search your memories. Think hard, remember the pain. Remember the fire. Remember your tears. _I dug my nails into my palms, hoping the pain would help spark the memory. It was pretty hopeless though, since the pain caused was a heck of a lot stronger than me drawing a little blood by digging my fingernails in myself.

_Focus harder. Liza was there with you, and your parents too. Remember their faces, their names, their voices. _It began to come into view slowly but surely. What had once been known as the Mossdeep Gym was a factory, filled with hundreds of workers from across the region. It had the same layout as the gym.

I focused harder on that. _There were windows, rows and rows of them. They were blacked out, but even I remember being able to see through them at a few points during the day. _

The day. What day was it when it happened? April twenty-third. What time of day? Late afternoon- no- late evening.

I could almost picture it then. _Rows of windows let in the last light of the day, men and women sit down after standing all daytime. Idle conversation ensues between us, the children who work there too. And a large sound suddenly echoes through all the halls, shakes us where we stand. Figures fly by outside, ten of them to be exact. The sun keeps sinking even as they flee into the distance. One of the figures has dark hair flowing behind them, almost like the dark haired girl I just met today…_

"Tate!"

My eyes snapped open, feeling as though they were never closed in the first place. My hands were slicked with my sweat and my throat was tight. I suddenly found myself on the verge of tears and unable to breathe. I resorted to coughing even though it offered no relief.

"Tate, are you alright?" I recognized Liza's voice almost instantly. She sounded concerned.

Between fits of coughing, I managed to stand myself up and walk over to the door. It recognized my key as soon as I lifted the leg it was on and the door unlocked. My sister rushed in as soon as she could.

"Tate, calm down. Take deep breaths." More coughing. A pain in my chest I didn't even know hurt suddenly intensified.

_**Liza, **_I thought to her. _**It's never been this bad before! I don't know what to do! I can't stop it!**_

_**Yes, you can. Focus on my thoughts and it'll go away soon.**_

In a matter of minutes, Liza's telepathic communication with me settled my coughing and I was on the ground taking extremely deep breaths, per her command.

Liza placed a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay now?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. I must've been trying harder than I should've to bring something back." The ache in my chest was gradually going away, but it scared me a lot more than the coughing. Every time I'd done that before, nothing besides a slight pain in my head or coughing would happen.

Liza looked puzzled. "Hey bro, what were you trying to bring back?"

I met her gaze. "Nothing important."

"It had to have been somewhat important in order for you to be like this," she said as she gestured from my chest up.

I scowled. "I wasn't focusing enough, okay? It didn't work out because my thoughts were conflicted. Nothing more, nothing less."

And there she went with that look that pissed me off so much. I was her brother for Arceus' sake! She had no reason to feel like she had to protect me! I was the one who had to protect her!

_**Seriously, what was it Tate? **_she asked. She was playing her little mind game with me again.

_**N. O. T. H. I. N. G. That spells nothing Liza! Now calm down and leave me alone! **_I knew it was hard to portray emotion when we talked to each other like that, but I was pretty sure I got the point across.

Liza sighed and stood up. "Well, if you change your mind and want to talk, I'll be next door." She put her hand on the door handle before looking back at me. "Anything else you need?"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Oh yeah. Has Astoria met Bryndell yet?"

Liza nodded back at me. "I think so. If you want, I can talk to Bryndell for you and find out what was troubling Astoria so much. Bryndell's got a good grip on those types of things."

"Yes, I'm well aware. I don't need to be reminded. And no, I don't care 'bout what's bothering her. I just wanted to know if they met."

Liza frowned. "Sometimes I don't get you."

"Yeah, well neither do I."

"Oh! I almost forgot to tell you that you and Flannery are staying here tomorrow."

"Oh really?" I asked. "Who's paired up then?"

Liza put a finger to her chin. "Roxanne and Brawly, Astoria and Andy and Wally and I."

_Well that's interesting. I expected a little more of a heads-up before she started working with us for real. _"Alright. Thanks sis."

"Anytime Brother. You take care and actually get some sleep tomorrow when we're gone, alright?"

"Yep. Sure."

Liza sighed. "You are hopeless. I wish I had a brother who was less stubborn!"

I grinned. "Well, you're kinda stuck with me, so don't complain about it! It hurts my feelings!"

"Whatever you idiot. I'll keep you posted if anything else interesting happens."

And with that she walked out. I heard the automatic _click_ of my door as it locked itself after it shut. Once she was a good distance away from my room, I looked at my palms and noticed they weren't as bloody as they felt.

"That's weird…" I muttered to myself. There were small piercings I made with my nails, but from concentrating like that for a few minutes, I should've caused myself a little more harm.

And just thinking that I failed to hurt myself again made the ache in my chest change to a completely different one.

* * *

**Hey guys! I apologize for not updating in forever! It's kind of complicated, but I'll try to get stuff done faster(for like the two people out there that are actually reading). And this chapter just kind of wrote itself if you know what I mean.  
**

**I also apologize if anyone got confused about my POV change halfway through. It's not permanent, sort of experimental really. Anyway, please review and tell me things that could have made this better for you! I'm feeling kind of lazy right now, so I won't reply to the two reviews I got. But hey, thanks guys for your support! **

**Hopefully I'll you all soon again!**


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